Residency Status
Residency status is determined by the UCLA Registrar's Residency Deputy based on physical presence, concurrent intent to permanently remain in the state, and financial independence. Simply living in California for 366 days does not grant residency status. Nonresident supplemental tuition exemptions do exist, information below.
If you have any questions about residency requirements, please contact the Residence Deputy directly. The Residence Deputy typically holds a workshop for new graduate students during the University-wide Orientation for New Graduate Students.
Establishing California Residency
Filing Procedure
Nonresident students may petition to apply for California residency throughout the academic year.
Filing Periods and Deadlines
Fall
Opens: June 1
Deadline: September 1
Winter
Opens: November 1
Deadline: December 1
Spring
Opens: February 1
Deadline: March 1
Residency Requirements
The full policy for each requirement is available on UCOP's website.
Intent
Ensure that you establish intent to make California your permanent home by relinquishing legal ties to your former home state as soon as possible! This includes obtaining a California Driver’s License/ID, voter registration, California address on bank statements, file taxes only in California, etc. Deadlines to establish legal ties are the end of each quarter, see policy. For example, when applying for residency determination effective Fall 2025, legal ties may need to be established by the end of Fall Quarter 2024, December 13, 2024 (please see the full policy and/or consult with the Residence Deputy for the exact date). Students who have satisfied the 366-day physical presence requirement but have not timely obtained California legal indicia and/or continue to hold out-of-state legal indicia will be denied a resident classification by the Residence Deputy.
DMV tips:
Make a DMV appointment early! Consider making an appointment before you make the move to CA so that you have an appointment sometime in October or November.
If you need a school document to prove California residency for the CA Real ID (Driver’s License or ID Card) document requirements, you may request a DMV Letter (see "California Department of Motor Vehicles" section) from the Registrar's Office. Prior to submitting the request, the permanent address on MyUCLA should be a California address.
Physical Presence
You must be continuously present in California for more than one year (366 days) immediately prior to the residence determination date of the term for which you request resident status. A short absence during the first year of residence will be evaluated to determine whether it is consistent with a claim of continued residence. Absences totaling more than six weeks over the first year are presumed to be inconsistent with an intent to reside permanently in California and are subject to evaluation of the circumstances. Students who must leave for nonacademic-related reasons for more than a month during the summer should contact the campus residence deputy to seek advice prior to leaving and filing for classification.
Financial Independence
Graduate students who turn 24 by December 31 of the year they apply for residency are presumed to be financially independent unless they were claimed as a dependent on their parents' federal tax return for the most recent tax year.
Immigration Status
You must have the legal ability to establish a permanent domicile in the United States, meaning that you must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or hold a valid, qualifying nonimmigrant visa.
Actions throughout the Year
Summer actions count! Student actions during the entire year, including the summer, affect the determination made regarding residence status for tuition purposes. A student who is in California solely for educational purposes is not eligible for California residence for tuition purposes, regardless of the length of stay. If a student returns to the former place of residence (outside California), including the summer after their first year (Summer 2025), that student is presumed to be in California solely for educational purposes and only strong evidence to the contrary can refute this presumption. A student seeking to establish California residence who accepts employment or conducts research outside of California will be questioned regarding attempts to find employment and/or conduct research within California.
Leaving the state for a unique research opportunity or for special circumstances (such as a medical emergency) may not preclude the student from being classified as a resident, but the burden is on the student to provide convincing evidence that leaving California was not inconsistent with a claim of permanent residence.
CA Residency Information
10 Things Graduate Students Need to Know about CA Residence for Purposes of Tuition And Fees, prepared by the UC Office of the President
Nonresident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) Exemptions
In some cases, students are classified as nonresidents, but are not charged nonresident supplemental tuition. The most common of these exemptions and waivers are:
AB 540 and California Dream Act
T or U visa holders
Spouse, registered domestic partner, or child of deceased law enforcement officer or firefighter
Dependent of a California resident parent (Condit Bill)
Foster youth
More information about exemptions may be found on UCLA's Registrar's site.